DUBAI, Jan 14: Iran's military is at its "peak of defensive readiness" and will "confront any aggression", the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said, as the United States ramped up its rhetoric in support of the protesters in the country.
Missile reserves "have increased compared to before the 12-day war [with Israel], and all damage during this period has been repaired, keeping the force at peak readiness", IRGC air force commander Sardar Mousavi was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency.
Meanwhile, direct contact between senior officials from the United States and Iran has broken down, according to reports, as tension rises.
Some personnel have been advised to leave the main US air base in the region, although there were no immediate signs of a large-scale evacuation of troops as took place in the hours before an Iranian missile attack last year.
The US State Department on Tuesday urged American citizens to leave Iran now.
Oil prices rose on Wednesday for a fifth straight session on fears of Iranian supply disruptions as the US and Iran traded threats.
Brent futures were up 84 cents, or 1.3%, at $66.31 a barrel at 1054 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 81 cents, or 1.3%, at $61.96 a barrel.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to keep protesting and said help was on the way, without specifying what that meant.
Trump has threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where a rights group said 2,600 people have been killed in recent days in a crackdown on one of the biggest ever protest movements against the regime.
The three diplomats told Reuters that some personnel had been advised to leave the US military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by Wednesday evening.
One of the diplomats described the move as a "posture change" rather than an "ordered evacuation".
The US embassy in Doha had no immediate comment and Qatar's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has been openly threatening to intervene in Iran for days, though without giving specifics.
In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Trump vowed "very strong action" if Iran executes protesters. "If they hang them, you're going to see some things," he said. He also urged Iranians on Tuesday to keep protesting and take over institutions, declaring "help is on the way". "AGENCIES
